Friday, May 4, 2012

Morning Six Pack: May 04, 2012

The Rose Bowl and Big Ten want to maintain their stature, but they don't want to be left out in the cold. Tuesday will be known as the day the Rose Bowl gave in. Maybe just as little. And not officially. But it was the day when Delany, the biggest public defender of the Rose, sounded a lot like the stuffy ol' Granddaddy was joining the party.

Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly must feel star-crossed, and he has been, including Tommy Rees' arrest. … No cause to overreact and brand Notre Dame a program off the rails. Kelly must feel star-crossed, and he has been. But he has also made mistakes, and so have some of his players. He took a reasonable stand on Floyd and will need to be firmer here. Much more of this, and then the really serious questions start to get asked about what is happening at Notre Dame.

During Bobby Bowden's 55 years in college football, he's seen his share of coaches embroiled in scandals. The circumstances aren't the same, but the arc of the story line is familiar: Mistake. Forgiveness. Redemption."Winning means a whole lot," Bowden said. "If (Petrino) had been a losing coach, you could forget it. He'd be through. But the guy is a proven coach, and if he can sincerely convince somebody that he made a terrible mistake and will never do it again, somebody will give him a chance. … Of course, you're going to have to have a president or a board of trustees who is willing to forgive you."

Phil Savage said he can't wait to get started in his new role as executive director of the Senior Bowl, although he admitted Wednesday he originally turned down the opportunity. At a press conference where he was officially introduced, Savage said it eventually dawned on him the job not only was a good fit for him but one he was ready to accept.

Ohio State has learned that a convicted sex offender from Kentucky has made contact with Buckeyes student-athletes both in-person and through social media websites. The Lantern obtained a Friday email that was sent from OSU athletic director for compliance Doug Archie informing Buckeye student-athletes that the university is aware of photographs OSU players have taken with Charles Eric Waugh, 31, a man listed on Kentucky’s sex offender registry, Archie said in the email.